This invention relates generally to cleaning apparatus of the type particularly adapted for cleaning floors, and fabric such as carpeting, draperies, and upholstery by appropriate cleaning tools which incorporate a cleaning fluid sprayer and vacuum nozzle. It more particularly relates to a hose coupling arrangement providing improved operational and handling performance.
In recent years, fluid extraction methods have been utilized for cleaning floors, carpeting, draperies and furniture upholstery, in place of prior conventional shampoo methods which were found to be inefficient with respect to cleaning. In the typical shampoo methods, generally cleaning fluids were applied to the fabric as an initial step and allowed to set for a period of time so as to insure dissolving or dislodging of greases, stains and other forms of foreign particles to be conditioned for removal from the fabric. Later, as a separate step in the shampoo process, a vacuum cleaner was employed to remove the hopefully dislodged foreign particles.
During such initial shampoo applying step, a procedure was normally administered to scrub the fabric in order to assist in the dissolving and dislodging of the foreign matter. Such scrubbing action was not only potentially harmful to the fabrics themselves, but the scrubbing techniques could result in the driving of the dissolved foreign ingredients and particles deeper into the pile of the fabric, thereby preventing their desired complete removal during the later administered vacuuming step.
The fluid extraction method generally was a great improvement over the typical shampoo methods, not only because the more complete cleaning which was administered in a single step, but because simultaneous application of a vacuum with the cleaning detergent prevented dissolved and dislodged particles from being driven deeper into the fabric material. Various improvements to the fluid extraction methods have been proposed and sold in the marketplace as the technology progressed. In the early stages of fluid extraction apparatus, a pressurized fluid line was applied to a vacuum hose with binding tape, special plastic holders, snap-together bindings, and the like. However, the use of such a vacuum hose/fluid line combination resulted in operational difficulties because the flexibility of the vacuum hose was lost due to the attachment of a relatively stiff fluid pressure hose adapted for conveying fluid under high pressure and heat to the vacuum nozzle area. In other words, a relatively stiff, bulky hose is generally not readily manipulated to perform cleaning operations. In addition, these types of attachments still left portions of the pressure hose hanging loose whereby the portions would snare small pieces of furniture. In the case of truck mounted extractors, wherein a vacuum hose and pressure hose must be dragged into a house from the truck, it frequently snares and uproots small plants and lawn sprinklers.
In order to address such disadvantages, an arrangement was developed for incorporating the fluid hose within the vacuum hose so that both could be flexed and moved about an area to be cleaned with less difficulty. One example of such a commercial device is the upholstery cleaning tool of the KleenRite Company of Santa Barbara, Calif.
However, even in such later developments in the art, in general, the flexibility of a vacuum hose with an internally positioned fluid hose remains inadequate for easy handling of the vacuum nozzle or hand tool by an operator. Such later cleaning arrangements still require the operator to interrupt the cleaning process in order to reposition the various devices of the cleaning apparatus because of the lack of complete flexibility of the vacuum hose/fluid line combination.
In the use of such conventional fluid extraction hoses of the type as generally referenced above, fluid dispensing hoses or tubes are retained in vacuum hoses, and both of the hoses are connected at respective ends to a heated fluid dispensing apparatus and a cleaning tool, such as those which are hand held. In some instances, such commercial devices are constructed and arranged at relatively high expense to the consumer in that relatively high cost hose connections and fluid dispensing tube connections are utilized. For example, as generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,077, a vacuum system utilized for fluid extraction methods is described as employing two entirely different constructions for the vacuum hose connections to the hand held tool and the fluid dispensing vacuum system. Perhaps the most significant disadvantage of the devices disclosed in this patent is that the tubular extensions and flow lines therein must be formed with sharp angles thereby reducing speed and fluid flow. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,554 discloses even more complicated hose connections for the vacuum system. In such patent, two fluid dispensing lines are utilized with coupling ends that are quite different from each other, thereby requiring specific additional parts for their function. Still another example of the complex and expensive arrangements in some prior art constructions is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,802, which describes an arrangement for cleaning draperies and the like. Design U.S. Pat. No. 239,243 also relates generally to fabric cleaning devices.